Sun International Eyes Casino Floor Overhaul Amid Urban Declines, Online Gains

Sun International, the company behind popular South African casinos like Sun City and GrandWest, is making some big changes to how its casinos operate. This comes as many of its city-based casinos are seeing fewer people coming through the doors, while online betting is on the rise.

The company says it plans to adjust how its gaming floors are set up—this could mean different mixes of slot machines and changes in table game pricing, especially for games like roulette. These tweaks are aimed at getting more players back into physical casinos, which have been struggling lately.

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Even though income from city casinos dropped slightly to R3.2 billion, Sun still managed to hold onto strong market share in areas like the Eastern Cape. But challenges like bad weather and road closures hurt performance at its biggest casino, GrandWest in Cape Town.

Online Gambling Keeps Growing

The South African Competition Commission’s opposition stemmed from concerns about reduced competition in the land-based and online gambling sectors. While the Competition Tribunal still had the authority to override this recommendation, the scheduled hearing date fell beyond the window required to finalise the deal.

The deal’s termination halts what would have been one of the most significant consolidations in South Africa’s gambling sector. Emperor’s Palace remains a major player in Gauteng’s land-based casino market, and PalaceBet continues to compete in the growing online sports betting space.

New CEO Takes the Reins at Sun International

While traditional casinos are feeling the pressure, Sun International’s online platform, SunBet, is doing very well. The company reported that online income rose by over 70% compared to last year. More players are signing up, and the amount of money being bet online keeps growing.

Online gambling overall in South Africa is booming. Between March 2023 and March 2024, South Africans wagered R11.1 trillion—a massive 40% jump from the previous year. Most of that growth came from people betting online, rather than in physical casinos.

New CEO Ulrik Bengtsson, who joined in July, says the company is focused on being strong both online and offline. SunBet now holds around 3% of the online market in southern Africa and has already started operating in Botswana.

Looking Ahead

Despite the challenges with its land-based casinos, Sun International is still in good shape. The company cut down its debt to R5 billion and saw strong overall earnings, partly thanks to one-time deals like the sale of its stake in a Latin American casino operator.

Bengtsson believes there’s plenty of room for improvement. He’s especially focused on how Sun can better connect with customers and improve the casino experience. “There’s a lot of passion in the team,” he said, “and we want to build on that to make the brand stronger.”

For South African players looking for a quality online experience, options like SunBet and other trusted online casinos we recommend continue to offer solid choices—especially for those who prefer gambling from the comfort of home.